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Tenements, Towers & Trash: An Unconventional Illustrated History of New York City by Julia Wertz
shalulah's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
5.0
planetquack's review against another edition
5.0
Julia Wertz is so talented and observant. This is amazing.
saidtheraina's review against another edition
4.0
The story around the edges of this book is melancholy in tone.
In the foreword, Wertz reveals that after being illegally evicted from her apartment, she was forced to leave NYC and move in with family on the west coast. She finished this book in the years immediately after leaving the city. That sadness and nostalgia colors the book.
It's an impressive enterprise. Large size, many pages... The content alternates between Then & Now-style depictions of specific blocks or businesses in NYC, and short nonfiction pieces about various people, events, and inventions.
I like obscure history, and I really like Wertz' autobiographical work, so I was into it.
Read with:
Ramshackle by [a: Allison McCreesh|14426794|Alison McCreesh|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] for a serious sense of place
[b: Photobooth: A Biography|19537419|Photobooth A Biography|Meags Fitzgerald|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1401470111s/19537419.jpg|27663647] for the aesthetic and niche historical stuff
[b: Tokyo on Foot|9722408|Tokyo on Foot Travels in the City's Most Colorful Neighborhoods|Florent Chavouet|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388988112s/9722408.jpg|14611186] for the illustrated city idea
[b: Syncopated: An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays|6396118|Syncopated An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays|Brendan Burford|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320448986s/6396118.jpg|6584737] for short-form NF goodness
In the foreword, Wertz reveals that after being illegally evicted from her apartment, she was forced to leave NYC and move in with family on the west coast. She finished this book in the years immediately after leaving the city. That sadness and nostalgia colors the book.
It's an impressive enterprise. Large size, many pages... The content alternates between Then & Now-style depictions of specific blocks or businesses in NYC, and short nonfiction pieces about various people, events, and inventions.
I like obscure history, and I really like Wertz' autobiographical work, so I was into it.
Read with:
Ramshackle by [a: Allison McCreesh|14426794|Alison McCreesh|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] for a serious sense of place
[b: Photobooth: A Biography|19537419|Photobooth A Biography|Meags Fitzgerald|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1401470111s/19537419.jpg|27663647] for the aesthetic and niche historical stuff
[b: Tokyo on Foot|9722408|Tokyo on Foot Travels in the City's Most Colorful Neighborhoods|Florent Chavouet|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388988112s/9722408.jpg|14611186] for the illustrated city idea
[b: Syncopated: An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays|6396118|Syncopated An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays|Brendan Burford|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320448986s/6396118.jpg|6584737] for short-form NF goodness
helpfulsnowman's review against another edition
5.0
You know that piece of shit, Here, that everyone is always talking about? THIS is the book, people. It presents a similar idea in a way that's more entertaining, the art is better, and it's so much warmer.
There's a history of NYC in here, so there are pages of storefronts and streets as they appeared in the 20's and as they appear now, which is the Here-like part. Then there are some sketches of the interiors of some different dwellings in NYC. Then there are some more personal things, like Wertz's favorite bookstores and a favorite walking route.
Why is this better than Here?
For starters, the title. Here? That's like IT. It's so hard to talk about something with a one-word title like Here.
Here has no personality. It's like an unobtrusive observer. I get the idea, but it's just so cold and articficial feeling. It's a little like...I know this shit is made up, so why am I watching it? Who is the person behind the idea of putting all the same shit in this one spot? TTT (see, the name can be shortened!) has personality. And the author knows when to step in and provide some personality and when to step back and let the shit speak for itself.
The art in TTT is never flat. You've got these detailed, Chris-Ware-esque architectural drawings, and you've got these...I guess Chris Ware also draws cartoon-y characters, but whatever. The art is beautiful and intricate in places and cartoon-y and expressive in others. Here is just one style, all very flat.
There's big stuff, like Fresh Kills on Staten Island, and there's small stuff, like the use of pneumatic tubes in Manhattan. The mixture is great and gives the book a variety of textures, big and small.
Sometimes I hate books about NYC. Some people have a little bit too much of a boner for the place where they live. It's like they wrote a book with a sub-agenda of proving that NYC is the greatest place in the world, which is like, "WOW, big thesis there! Maybe next you'll do something SUPER brave and write about how L.A. is weird!" TTT is pretty fair. I think there's a love for NYC, and I think there's also a recognition that some of the things that happen in NYC are stupid. And that the city is so fucking expensive. So, so fucking expensive.
I think my big pet peeve from New York people is complaints about tourism. I mean...if you'd lived there since 1965, I guess? But how long has it been since NYC has been a HUGE tourist destination? Do you really think something like Broadway can exist if it's just like a fun, local thing? If there weren't a shitload of people coming from out of town? I'd be fucking annoyed too, believe me, I get annoyed when the population in my city increases somewhat when the college is back in session. But it's not like, "Fucking college students make this place suck." It's just like, "I wish there were less people around when I really need to get somewhere."
Anyway, rant over.
You can read this one and enjoy it without having to get an I heart NY tattoo on your bicep.
There's a history of NYC in here, so there are pages of storefronts and streets as they appeared in the 20's and as they appear now, which is the Here-like part. Then there are some sketches of the interiors of some different dwellings in NYC. Then there are some more personal things, like Wertz's favorite bookstores and a favorite walking route.
Why is this better than Here?
For starters, the title. Here? That's like IT. It's so hard to talk about something with a one-word title like Here.
Here has no personality. It's like an unobtrusive observer. I get the idea, but it's just so cold and articficial feeling. It's a little like...I know this shit is made up, so why am I watching it? Who is the person behind the idea of putting all the same shit in this one spot? TTT (see, the name can be shortened!) has personality. And the author knows when to step in and provide some personality and when to step back and let the shit speak for itself.
The art in TTT is never flat. You've got these detailed, Chris-Ware-esque architectural drawings, and you've got these...I guess Chris Ware also draws cartoon-y characters, but whatever. The art is beautiful and intricate in places and cartoon-y and expressive in others. Here is just one style, all very flat.
There's big stuff, like Fresh Kills on Staten Island, and there's small stuff, like the use of pneumatic tubes in Manhattan. The mixture is great and gives the book a variety of textures, big and small.
Sometimes I hate books about NYC. Some people have a little bit too much of a boner for the place where they live. It's like they wrote a book with a sub-agenda of proving that NYC is the greatest place in the world, which is like, "WOW, big thesis there! Maybe next you'll do something SUPER brave and write about how L.A. is weird!" TTT is pretty fair. I think there's a love for NYC, and I think there's also a recognition that some of the things that happen in NYC are stupid. And that the city is so fucking expensive. So, so fucking expensive.
I think my big pet peeve from New York people is complaints about tourism. I mean...if you'd lived there since 1965, I guess? But how long has it been since NYC has been a HUGE tourist destination? Do you really think something like Broadway can exist if it's just like a fun, local thing? If there weren't a shitload of people coming from out of town? I'd be fucking annoyed too, believe me, I get annoyed when the population in my city increases somewhat when the college is back in session. But it's not like, "Fucking college students make this place suck." It's just like, "I wish there were less people around when I really need to get somewhere."
Anyway, rant over.
You can read this one and enjoy it without having to get an I heart NY tattoo on your bicep.
ivanssister's review against another edition
5.0
I love Wertz's work, and this one takes a much different direction. This is clearly a love letter to NYC and I expect it would be enjoyable to anyone who has lived there. Her drawings of buildings past and present make me want to visit and follow the trail of her long walk.
tx2its's review against another edition
4.0
Reading 2020
Book 105: Tenements, Towers, & Trash by Julia Wertz
This graphic book is a beast. It is a physically large, thick book. a coffee table book for NYC lovers. I found this book looking through a list of notable adult graphic novels. the library did not have the title I wanted, this was another title by the same author that the library had.
NYC is my favorite city. The art in this book chronicles the history of NYC that tourists may not know about. The history of different blocks on the city, things that originated in NYC (like the egg cream, that contains neither eggs nor cream), and other interesting tidbits. One of my favorite parts of the book was the holdout buildings, ones that the owners would not sell when growth was occurring and how the new owners built around the holdouts.
This was a cool book to read and the art was great. The author moved to NYC from California for a period of time and this is her tribute to the city. If you have an interest in NYC you do not see as a tourist, check out this book. My rating 4 ⭐️ .
Book 105: Tenements, Towers, & Trash by Julia Wertz
This graphic book is a beast. It is a physically large, thick book. a coffee table book for NYC lovers. I found this book looking through a list of notable adult graphic novels. the library did not have the title I wanted, this was another title by the same author that the library had.
NYC is my favorite city. The art in this book chronicles the history of NYC that tourists may not know about. The history of different blocks on the city, things that originated in NYC (like the egg cream, that contains neither eggs nor cream), and other interesting tidbits. One of my favorite parts of the book was the holdout buildings, ones that the owners would not sell when growth was occurring and how the new owners built around the holdouts.
This was a cool book to read and the art was great. The author moved to NYC from California for a period of time and this is her tribute to the city. If you have an interest in NYC you do not see as a tourist, check out this book. My rating 4 ⭐️ .